The Horse Evolution Show

3/30/12
We just went on our first night out. A couple of days ago We found the Tourist Information office and they were able to help us find out about this event. Both the girls in the office spoke very good english and were happy to share the upcoming events in Szakes with us and tell us how to get tickets. Tonight we went to a very glitzy show called, "Horse Evolution Show". (There was nothing about evolution in it, by the way.) There were 16 beautiful horses: half were huge black stallions and the others were smaller and younger, white mares. The riders were acrobats and dancers and it was very entertaining. For part of the show, they had guys on snowboards doing stunts while being pulled behind galloping horses. They also had a dance-off between Celtic dancers all in white, and these big black horses, each taking turns doing fancy steps.

The best part of the evening was meeting a couple who sat next to us. When they first sat down, they probably asked us if anyone was sitting next to us. (This sure isn't America! We sat on the second row, in the middle, and almost immediately, people came up to us from each side and asked if anyone was sitting there. So they sat by us. There were seats available everywhere. Why in America do we space ourselves the way we do?) When Richard answered in Hungarian that we didn't speak Hungarian, the man, named Attila, said, "Oh! Of course not. Sure." He and his wife spoke very good english and wanted to visit. They were so friendly and it was nice to be able to get to know them. (It reminded me of a similar experience we had in Rome, visiting with a newly wed couple on the bottom of the Spanish Steps.) We visited during intermission and when the show was ready to start back up, the wife, Andrea, asked if we could exchange information; so we gave each other our phone numbers. She told us about her dad who was outspoken during the Communist occupation, was put in jail and scheduled for execution. That sentence was reduced to 15 years in prison, and he ended up serving 8 years before he was released. Before he was put in prison, he was planning to immigrate to Brussels. He met his wife after he was released and always told his family that he was glad he went to prison so he could stay in the country and have his nice family. We hope we get to visit with this couple again.

We have met so many nice people here. Everyone we've come in contact with has been friendly and gracious.